The League of 10,000 Fighters
by VA842867
Summary: The Underworld reappears, this time back in the reigns of Medusa. However, this war between the Light and the Dark is different than before. No longer shall they fight on the Earth, where innocent people may be killed. This time, they take the war into a world of their own, where they lead armies of Fighters. POV OC, Pit will appear later on.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is just an idea I had, it'll probably only be occasionally updated, unless I'm loaded with reviews or something (nudge, nudge; wink, wink). I loved that game and this sort of struck me as a half decent story.**

**(Thanks TwilightWakerofTime for being the beta reader of this chapter)**

Chapter 1

The light was blinding. The man could barely see the surrounding area as he tried to arise from the earthen ground. His arms felt weak and soft, his legs like butter. Attempting to walk for a second made his head swim.

'The lights… enough… of the lights…' he thought weakly, squinting so that he could attempt to investigate his surroundings. However, when his eyes finally did adjust to the harsh lighting of the room, he found himself alone in a domed, circular room with a dirt floor and cracked walls. Forcing himself to get to his feet, the man noticed a switch on the wall. Curious at this new place, and at why a switch should be there, he slowly walked over, wary of deception and cautious of danger.

'My heart…it's beating a million miles an hour…why, I wonder?' he thought, his brow scrunching as he reached for the switch. Right as he was about to touch it, his hand stopped. The man found that he was suspicious of the simple switch. Shaking it off, he reached over and pulled it down.

The floor fell and the man followed into the depths of the area below the room. Hitting the ground hard after the fall, although the impact had been cushioned due to the soft dirt, made him a little bit dazed. So much that it took a moment for him to realize he was surrounded by floating angels. So much that it took a second for him to see the strange object in the center of a pedestal at the end of a hallway that was stretched out before him. So much that it also took a moment to register the angels were gesturing to the object, motioning for him to go over and take it.

The man glanced at himself as he got up, and then took a second look when he realized he was in full armor. Staring at his plated arm, he flexed his bicep. 'I'm fit, extremely fit,' the man though, surprised at this sudden realization. 'I look ready to jump into a fight and take down enemies or something. What am I, some sort of soldier? I wonder why… I don't remember coming here. I don't remember anything at all…' His brow furrowed under the helm he wore. In the light from the hole in the ceiling, he shone like a gem underneath the light of an appraiser. His white armor was almost blinding to stare at.

The soldier slowly walked over to the object at the end of the hall. It nearly glowed with mystique and antiquity. As he reached down to pick it up and examine it, the man felt the power that emanated from it. Holding it to the light that shined weakly at the end of the hall he had crossed, as the hall itself was entirely dark, he thoroughly examined it.

'It looks almost like…a gun of sorts?' he thought, a little surprised and feeling a bit rushed from the past few moments. 'Yeah, here's where the trigger would be…and then, the muzzle would extend from the main body…'

He held the subject of his curiosity in front of him, and found it to be much heavier than it looked. However, the man found his well-toned body could hold it up with a single arm. He pointed it at the end of the hall, and his finger found its way to the place where the trigger should have been. The length of the gun, or so it seemed to be so, gleamed gold in the weak light, and the man found he was admiring the weapon for its beauty and elegance. The soldier steadied his breath and focused on a single point on the opposite wall. The floating angels, seeing he was aiming, flew away hurriedly. After a few moments, he instinctively pushed power up his arm and through his hand into the gun, making the long, blue gem underneath the muzzle glow brightly before it fired.

The blast shook the walls of the hallway and the pillars that framed its length began to crack with the shock of the hit. The wall itself was entirely destroyed by the shot, as the man could see when the dust finally cleared away. Through it, he could only see darkness. Glancing around made it apparent that the angels had left him. Walking from the pedestal shakily, he made his way once more across the hallway, this time in a battle stance that his muscles knew from memory. The man was acting on instinct, as there was nothing else to act upon. He knew nothing of his surroundings, and he didn't know how to fight. That is, his mind did not. His body seemed familiar enough with the art, so he let his body take care of his movements for him.

Once he had entered the darkness, he began to feel his way through the place. He held his hand against the cool stone, touching the left side so that if need be he could turn back and not ever enter the passage again. He marched on for what seemed like hours, his muscles tensed in anticipation. However, it must've only been minutes when he realized he could see light at the end of the hall he was in. He began to walk slowly towards it, and then broke into a jog before finally going into a full sprint to regain his ability of sight. It was a terrible thing for him to be caught in the darkness, when he did not know what he was doing, why he was here, or where he was in the first place for that matter. Being able to see would be a blessing for one such as him.

As he burst through the opening, he found his eyesight blinded by the light. As his eyes adjusted, he noticed a silhouette in the middle of the room. He rubbed his eyes quickly, although he was careful to hold his only defense against enemies close to his chest. He saw the figure take one step forward, and he retaliated by taking a step back. As his eyes finally saw what was before them, he blinked. Then he began to blink rapidly, as he could've sworn what was before him was a shadow.

'What the…am I OK? Did I hit my head too hard or something when I fell?' he thought incredulously. The figure in black sauntered towards him, a weapon at its side and something protruding from his back. 'He's…an angel?'

Indeed, the figure had wings of pure black. There wasn't a trace of white on his skin, or what the man thought was his skin. He couldn't tell. The only things that weren't black were the glowing, crimson eyes and the white and blue weapon that he held in his hands, similar to the one the man held in his own. It stopped a few feet in front of him and stood there, glaring at him. They stood there for quite a while before the man attempted to sidestep the shadow. The figure slashed his weapon at the man, and after the man had jumped back, it spread its wings and launched itself into the air.

It swerved around the room, and it took the man a moment to realize that the room was not like the others, with a low ceiling and little lighting. This room had a large dome and was lit by several orbs that glowed on the four sides. Each was too blindingly bright to look at, so the room was easily lit.

The warrior readied himself as the shadow swooped around the room, glaring at him as he did it. 'Is he…mocking me?' the man thought, bemused and grinning. 'Whatever. It doesn't matter that he has an aerial advantage, I'll just clip his wings and force him to land.' His grin faded as the shadow pulled up its weapon and aimed for him.

His mind shut down and his body went straight into battle mode as he dodged the shot. It struck the ground and made a small blast, but he could see that the dark angel's weapon was not nearly as powerful as his own. The shadow continued to fly around, shooting a blast every now and then at the man, who simply dodged them and took in information on the angel.

'Not only are his shots weak, they barely home in and they're extremely slow. It's like he's new to his weapon. That, or he's purposefully not trying to hurt me. I'd guess the latter, but why would he do that…?' he noted to himself as he dodged attack after attack. He shook his head of his thoughts and began to circle around the flying figure. Experimentally, he launched shots into the air in small attempts to wear down his opponent, and he found that the shadow was just as bad at dodging as he was at everything else in the art of combat.

'This is ridiculous,' he thought, a bit irritated. 'I could destroy him right now if I wanted. I probably should, just to end the fight.' He tightened his grip on his golden weapon and dashed forward, shooting at the same time. The enemy weaved about, desperately trying to avoid the shots, but a few hit and damaged him. The two began to engage in a deadly dance of violence, each shooting at the other and trying to defeat their opponent.

The man found that when he sprinted forward and shot at the same time, his attacks became more powerful. He also found, quite on accident, that his shots grew more powerful the longer he didn't shoot. During the heat of the battle, he had noticed the gun drawing upon his energy, as the blue underlining began to glow. When he finally shot after a few more moments of dodging, it was five times as powerful as before, and frighteningly fast.

With one final blast as he dodged to the side to avoid a dangerously close shot fired from the shadow's gun, he downed the dark angel. It hit the ground with a thump, and didn't rise for a moment. However, a dark energy gathered around it, giving off waves of power. The warrior clad in white, shining armor took a quick step back and grit his teeth at the sensation of so much energy being gathered in one place. The angel's head snapped up and his body was back in a flash. He held his weapon at the ready, ad bounced on the heels of his feet, just as the man was doing. The two watched each other, looking for signs of weakness now that they shared the same battleground.

'He isn't the same as before. He's stronger, much more powerful. I don't know what the heck happened, but this fight is about to get a lot more serious,' he noted to himself. analyzing the figure shrouded in black.

The warrior heard a small slide as the shadow's foot tensed on the stone floor and it jumped forward, and the fight was on. The two jumped backwards and forwards, sending shots of energy at each other. The man dodged and ducked, getting hit every now and then but missing all of the enemy's extremely powerful shots. His enemy, however, was not faring as well. He simply couldn't dodge in time to stay out of the way of all the man's attacks. Plus, the angel was tiring fast, while the fighter across from him seemed completely fine.

The shadow dashed forward in an attempt to hit him with a slash of his weapon, but the warrior blocked it with ease and countered, sending the dark angel across the room. The man dashed forward quickly as the angel rose and finished him off with a quick triple strike. The figure froze for a moment before fading, his body turning into dust and his wings into black feathers.

The man panted slightly from the fight. Although he had not had as near a bad time as the angel, it had winded him. Now, a strange sound greeted his ear. It was…clapping?

'Who…?'

The man turned around and saw another figure, in blue armor, clapping their hands and grinning at him. The two stared at each other from across the domed room, one smiling and the other grim.

"Who…who are you?" our hero asked nervously. 'Is he also here to fight me?'

"I'm a Fighter, just like you, although I don't use a blade like you do. The name's Remus, and I'm the supervisor of the Opening Exams," he replied proudly, the silly grin never leaving his face. He whistled. "I gotta say, kid, you got a lot of potential."

"What are you talking about? What Opening Exams?" the white - armored Fighter asked of his newly found acquaintance. 'What's a blade, anyways? Is that what my weapon's called?'

"If you're wondering, you passed," the man replied amiably, saying it as if it was very important and a very good thing. "You beat the Shadow Angel pretty quickly, and in a pretty flashy way, too. Not many Fighters discover they can use a charged shot before they meet their Instructor." He scratched the back of his helm absentmindedly. "I wonder who gave birth to you, anyways…"

The white Fighter stared at Remus incredulously. 'Birth? Blades? Opening Exams and Fighters? What's going on here…?'

Smiling at his confused expression, Remus clapped a hand on his fellow Fighter's shoulder. "Congrats, kid, for passing. Things'll get explained later, but for now, welcome to Palutena's League of 10,000 Fighters!"

**A/N: That's the first chapter finished. Anything confusing will hopefully get explained in the next chapter. I hope it wasn't terrible or anything, so leave me some reviews if you want to let me know what you thought about it. So, please R & R! Until next time…**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys, I'm back with the latest installment. I apologize that I'm falling behind on my other fanfics, but they're both experiencing a little writer's block right now.**

"What are you saying? None of that makes any sense," the newly - made Fighter exclaimed to his fellow, blue - armored counterpart. He gestured to the room around him. "What was with the fight, anyways? I could've been hurt!"

Remus looked on with a serene expression. "It was the Opening Exam, like I said before. It was just to gauge your ability. If you were in any serious danger, we would've shut down the Shadow Angel and escorted you out. However, not only did you beat the Shadow Angel in almost record time, you were smart about it. I watched you the entire time, and you quickly realized that you had to take your opponent out of the sky, so that they would lose their advantage. It's basic, but when you have no previous combat experience, it shows that you have promise," he explained quickly. "Like I said before, all your questions will be explained later by your Instructor."

"Instructor?" the man asked to no one in particular, an incredulous look on his face. 'I just don't understand what's going on here… it doesn't make any sense.'

"Kid, you gotta stop with the grimacing. Your face will freeze up," the blue - clad warrior remarked lightly, attempting to lighten the tension. "C'mon, we have a lot to do today. You're the first in almost a week, so we need to get you to the Council and get you started as soon as possible.

Our hero blinked once, then twice. "Council?" he asked innocently as Remus dragged him across the floor of the room. "Birth?" Remus ignored him as he opened the hidden door and pushed the white - clad Fighter through into a damp, stone hallway. "You have to tell me something! I can't be kept in the dark while I wait for some Council to explain everything. It doesn't matter what, I just want to know something about what the heck is happening here."

Remus sighed. "I'm not ALLOWED to say anything, kid. I like you, but it's in the rules. The Council and your Instructor will teach you everything you need to know until you surpass your teacher, at which point you will become an Instructor or you will take on missions for the Goddess of Light, Palutena."

"Wait…but you just-"

"I told you what the Council and your Instructor were going to do, and I only told you that, right?" the blue armored Fighter replied, his eyes glancing over.

"But…I mean, of course you did," the Fighter being dragged said, finally getting the subtle hint. 'Huh, so a goddess? Someone called Palutena…if we do missions for her that must mean we're her servants. No, more like her soldiers or something.'

The two continued down the long stone corridor until they reached a point where it hit a dead end. Remus released his fellow Fighter, letting him fall to the ground before tapping the stone wall in a few places. For a few seconds, both Fighters observed as nothing happened. Then, a large grinding noise could be heard and the stone slab slowly retreated into the right wall.

"Wow, secret passage," the white Fighter remarked quietly as light flooded the hallway. 'Whatever's happening, it's some serious business.'

Remus turned back to the man behind him. "Are you ready for everything to begin, kid?" he asked, a grin on his face. "Everything changes here. Your life will jump start the minute you step through here."

The white-armored Fighter stood up slowly and purposefully, looking his blue clad counterpart straight at his lenses. There was no fear, no anger, no sadness. There was no happiness, no excitement, no curiosity. There was only pure determination in his expression. "Take me inside," he replied.

Remus smiled, his helm gleaming in the light as he motioned for the man to follow. The two entered a large chamber, similar to the one where the Shadow Angel had resided. However, it was filled with seats, and each had a different person in them. They were of assorted colors, some were green or red while others were purple or black. All of them appeared to be past their prime, their faces lined with age and scars. Each was talking to people beside them, deep in their discussions. They barely noticed Remus entering the room until he announced himself.

"Dear Council, I present to you the new 10,000," the blue warrior announced. Few of the elderly Fighters in the room turned towards him. "Hello?" None noticed his presence. "I say Marco, you say Polo. Marco!"

One or two of the councilmen who were listening looked irritated, but that was it. Remus' mouth curled into a frown as a weapon formed in his hand. It had a grip in the center with two blades protruding from each side. The blades were blue with a silver lining, but otherwise it was quite plain. Remus quietly put his hand against the weapon, his fingers glowing. The blue–armored Fighter pulled back his arm as energy began to collect at his fingertips. After a second of this, he let what looked to be an arrow loose. It flew over their heads, brushing the helms of some of the councilmen, and hit the wall with a bit of a boom.

From behind Remus, the man, who now identified himself as number 10,000, looked on and observed the Fighters before him. His face was expressionless as Remus let loose the arrow, and he didn't move when all of the councilmen turned upon Remus and him, yelling and complaining that the arrow of energy might've hit someone if the blue warrior hadn't been experienced.

"You guys are lucky; I missed. Next time you choose to ignore me and a new recruit that might not happen," Remus hissed, his mouth a thin line, his eyes hidden behind the lenses on his helmet.

One of the members of the Council stood up. She was yellow, and an elderly woman from the look of the long and thin ponytail and the shape of the armor she wore. "That was quite uncalled for, even if you were upset. I didn't realize that younger Fighters these days were so rash and irresponsible. Especially you, as the Opening Exams supervisor, are expected to exhibit excellent behavior, number 7,238. We expect more from you than such unrefined tactics to get attention," she sneered. From the slight stream of steam that was roiling off her helmet, the white-armored Fighter assumed she had almost been hit by the charged up arrow.

Murmurs of agreement filled the room as Remus stared coldly, his mouth a hard line. "Just because I'm a lower rank than the last supervisor doesn't mean that you can treat me with any less respect. If that doesn't happen, you will not receive my respect as Council members. This is my fourth recruit, and it's the fourth time I've had to resort to an action that would grab your attention."

The Council members stilled at this, some even muttering apologies under their breath. All of them focused on the white warrior behind his blue–armored fellow. Another Council member, this time red, spoke out. "Please introduce the new recruit, if you would, supervisor."

Remus bowed, a small grin etched on his face. "Come on forward number 10,000," he said to the man behind him.

The white Fighter blinked once in surprise, as he had been ignored during the whole exchange. "Of course," he replied quickly, stepping forward to be better seen by the Council.

The members whispered among themselves, glancing at the warrior that stood before them with curiosity. One, a man wearing purple armor, asked, "May you present your weapon?"

The man glanced down at his hands, surprised by the fact that it was no longer in his hands. Remus leaned over. "Summon it from your glove. It'll feel like second nature - it's instinctual. Just do it and it'll happen."

The man looked down at his glove and pushed power through it, almost as he had with his weapon when he wished to fire. His palm glowed for a moment and then the weapon took shape, gleaming in the light from the ceiling. Several of the elderly Fighter mouths fell open at its beauty, elegance, and obvious power. A blue Fighters that had been standing in the shadows so as not to be seen came forward and rested his hands on the weapon. He looked like he was concentrating intensely, for a moment, before his mouth widened in surprise.

"Why, this hasn't been seen for…for generations upon generations!" the man nearly yelled. He backed away a little, his lips still slightly open.

A woman in shiny black armor stood up. "What's the weapon's value?"

The man took one more step back before gulping quickly. "It's…ridiculously high for someone like a rookie. At 250 already, it makes it the most dangerous weapon within the bottom 3,000 and one of the strongest in the bottom 5,000. The odds of number 10,000 having a weapon with a value of 250, not to mention that it's a Palutena Blade, are astronomical! It's almost impossible."

The Council murmured among themselves for a few more minutes, discussing the man before them, shining in his white garb. One very old man in a faded brown suit stood up, and looking straight at the white-armored Fighter, he said, "I say we give him to number 1,376, eh? She'd shape him up real quick into a warrior worthy of the battlefield."

Some muttered agreements, but most gave shouts of anger and yells of "No!" and "Absolutely not!"

A woman in white armor stood up. "Number 1,376 would kill this youngster! He wouldn't last a day!"

The elderly man in brown gave her a glare. "Have you forgotten that four of the 20 Guards were trained by her? Few ever had this boy's promise. I say we go all in and take a risk in his training!"

Number 10,000, wielder of the Palutena Blade, looked over at Remus, but his friend's expression was worrisome. When he noticed that the white-clad Fighter was watching him, Remus gave him a slightly forced smile. "You're the luckiest and unluckiest Fighter I've ever seen, kid. To have such power in a rookie weapon is unheard of, but then to have Itazura as your mentor?" He shook his head. "I hate to say it, but you'll be hard pressed to survive her training, let alone better from it. The only four that have actually finished their mentorship with her are in the top 20 Fighters. That being said, 45 others died. Wonder how you'll do as her 50th pupil."

With each word, number 10,000 grew more and more afraid of the woman that they were discussing. 'They make it seem like number 1,376, or Itazura I guess, would literally eat me for breakfast …she can't be that bad, can she?'

He turned back to the Council as their chatter died down. The man in brown smiled at him warmly, but almost in a sad way. "We have chosen your Instructor, the prestigious number 1,376. You should be honored to be under her mentorship. She has trained some of our finest warriors." He raised his hand in a farewell gesture. "Go now and learn the way of the Fighter, young one."

Remus tapped the rookie Fighter's shoulder, gesturing towards the door. He walked with his blue counterpart as he contemplated his fate. 'I'm completely, royally screwed,' he decided after a few moments of deliberation.

Remus stopped him in the middle of the tunnel, turning to him with a serious expression. "Let me tell you a few things about Itazura before we meet her. The first thing you should know is that she is, without a doubt, the most brilliant Fighter I have ever had the honor of meeting. She is also by far the best teacher to have as long as she doesn't kill you. However, you have to know that she can be a bit… erratic, at times. She's addicted to beer, sake, wine, anything with alcohol." Remus looked around quickly before turning back to his friend. "Lastly and most importantly, she hates every one of the students that have been assigned to her, except for the ones that have survived. At first sight, she WILL attempt to kill you. IF you survive, and that is a MAJOR if, she will agree to teach you how to use a blade properly and how to fight as a Fighter would."

The man in white stared at Remus for a moment. "Then HOW can she even be allowed to teach if she kills her students on sight! I mean, what the hell am I supposed to do? She's supposed to HELP me, not KILL me before I even have a chance to do anything!" he screamed at the man in blue. "This is insane!"

Remus nodded sadly. "I have to say I agree with you, kid. You're screwed." A light flashed in the distance. "You better go, and quick. She'll hunt you even harder if you're late." He pushed number 10,000 forward.

The white-armored Fighter turned, his lips set in a small frown. "See ya, Remus. Thanks for all you've done."

The blue warrior smiled- a pure, genuine smile. "No problem kid. Just kick some ass for me, OK?"

The white-armored Fighter continued on without his guide, and he soon left the hallway. Finding himself in a new room, he surveyed the area. It was a gray room with little lighting. There were no windows and the floor looked to be solid metal. The only decoration in the whole area was a couch, upon which a green Fighter sat, her fingers clutched around a bottle.

Number 10,000 approached her slowly. 'She's my Instructor? This drunk?' he thought incredulously.

The woman looked to be asleep, but her shades were up and the white-armored man couldn't truly tell whether she was or wasn't. He stopped a few yards away.

"Um, Ms. Itazura?" he said quietly, trying not to disturb his new mentor. "Ms. Itazura, hello?" He walked a few steps forward, his brow creased with confusion. "Well, what now? What do I do?"

"How about…you just… leave me and my drink alone... bastard..." the woman mumbled as she began to get up. "Why the hell are you here anyway, kid? Come for a sip?" the woman held out the flask of alcohol invitingly, and then pulled it back and laughed extremely loud.

"I apologize for interrupting you, but I'm your newest student, Ms. Itazura," the white Fighter replied, wincing at the sound of her laughter. 'She can barely stand…'

The man's response made the green–clad warrior laugh even harder. "Student? Aw, now that's rich! You couldn't even take down a singly Monoeye, I bet! You look like you couldn't hurt a fly, let alone a monster!" She guffawed once more. "What's a brat like you doing here? If you aren't my new 'student,' then what are you?"

The man's mouth hardened into a straight line. "I'm sorry if I don't look like much, but I AM your student. You WILL teach me because the Council has assigned you to me."

The woman's laughter died immediately. She took a small sip of her drink, glaring at the white Fighter in front of her. "You have some guts, I'm glad you don't fuck around, kid. You go straight to the issue at hand. I might make your death a little less painful now."

"You don't scare me, Ms. Itazura," he replied, his face expressionless. 'This woman's terrifying, even while she's drunk she gives off an aura of power. I…I can barely stand up…'

The woman giggled. "That's what they all say before I shoot them straight in between the eyes." She said this as she aimed her fingers like a gun and pretended to shoot him in the forehead. "The Council must be going senile. I swear, a kid like you here? You a really have no chance to survive what I have in store. Go home and live like the little soldier you are. It doesn't matter, nothing does. You'll die like all the rest whether I decide to train you or not." Her voice was bitter and hard, her lips a firm line.

"Ms. Itazura, if you don't teach me, then my existence IS meaningless," the man replied, trying to play off of her words. 'I've got to make her tell me what's going on here.'

"No," she replied coldly as she threw away her flask of sake and stood up. "If you try to train with me then you'll die before you can say 'Oops." I don't show mercy to little shits like you. If you die right here, right now, that would be worse than meaningless. It would be pitiful." Her shoulders went up in a shrug. "However, if you insist, then I guess I'll just have to kill you here and now."

The green Fighter held out her hand, and in her palm appeared a purple looking weapon, angled at near where she held it. Red and purple lined the length of the weapon. "This here's my trusty Viper Blade, kid. This thing has a value of 334. Do you think you can handle something like this, in the hand of an experienced Fighter like me?" She took up a battle stance, but it was unlike anything that the white Fighter had ever seen. It was fluid and extremely loose.

'She almost looks like…a serpent waiting to strike,' he decided as he took up his own, somewhat rigid stance. "If I have to fight you, I have to fight you. You NEED to tell me what's going on here."

The woman grinned sadistically. "You asked for it, remember that when you're buried six feet under."

**A/N: Alright, it's finished. I guess I just felt like making this chapter. It was a little longer than most of the chapters in the rest of my stories, but that's OK. Don't forget to R&R, please. See ya later.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Alright, so here comes another installment of the League of 10,000 Fighters…fighters…fighters. I think this'll mostly be the fight between Itazura and our little hero. He MAY get a name in this chapter. I'm not completely sure. If you haven't figured it out already, I always write this Author's Note before I write the story, so there are no guarantees. Well, without further ado, Chapter 3!**

The green clad Fighter's, Itazura's, first strike was a simple jab forward, but it was ridiculously fast. Number 10,000 ducked under the Viper Blade, rolling off to the side. As he got up, the white Fighter stumbled backwards to put some distance between him and the drunken woman.

'I have to get away from her. In close quarters she'll destroy me,' he thought as his instincts kicked into gear, his eyes beginning to glaze over.

"You're already learning, huh? Eight students before you have made the mistake of trying to get close so they could strike me. I'm glad to see you know when you're outclassed," Itazura shouted from across the room.

The white armored Fighter didn't reply, only receding into his previous stance, his fingers laced around Palutena Blade he had unconsciously summoned and his feet kept loosely on the ground so that he could move quickly when necessary.

All that he saw was a grin before Itazura charged, disappearing from his sight for one moment and reappearing closer then he would have liked, her weapon firing a fast moving purple shot that he once again barely dodged. The green Fighter smirked before vanishing once again.

'How can she move so fast? I can't follow her!' he thought, turning his head from side to side and craning his neck to catch even the slightest trace of her presence. The hair on the nape of his neck jumped up, and on instinct he rolled to the left.

The loud clang of an object against the metal floor signaled to him how close he had been to being cut in half. The white Fighter quickly scrambled to his feet, waiting for him was the sight of Itazura's blade buried half into the floor. Her face was expressionless, and even though her eyes were covered beneath lenses, he could feel her intense gaze burning into him.

'She's really gonna kill me,' the young warrior thought, his body trembling from adrenaline and fear. He tightened his mouth in determination. 'I won't die here! I refuse to be defeated!' He sprinted forward as his foe pulled her blade from the floor as if the metal was made of butter. Charging up the Palutena Blade, he let loose a mighty shot of energy. To his slight surprise, it was different than before. In his fight with the Shadow Angel, it was just a blast from his weapon. It had no particular form or shape. This time, it not only moved much faster, but appeared to have wings and a large white body.

The powerful shot collided with the place where Itazura was supposed to be, kicking up dust when it hit. However, when the dust cleared, she was nowhere to be seen.

'Damnit!' he gritted his teeth, his features twisting in frustration. 'That's my strongest attack! What am I-"

The only thing that saved the white Fighter from certain demise was a small hum from right behind him. He jumped out of the way, not a moment too soon, as a purple vector shot from his opponent's blade, colliding against the opposite wall with tremendous force.

"Geez, kid," the green Fighter mumbled as she pulled back the Viper Blade, letting it hang at her side. "Stop dodging and start fighting. You're being annoying. At this point, 15 more of my students had died. You obviously don't have the skills to beat me." She wobbled slightly. "Stand still and I'll… *hiccup* make it quick."

A snarl came to his face, one of absolute fury. 'I can't even get close, how am supposed to beat her?' The white Fighter tightened his grip on his Palutena Blade. 'To top it off, she could have downed me easily if she wasn't so drunk. Is this the power of a Fighter in the 1,000s?' He shook his head as he slipped back into a battle stance. 'If I can't match her physically, I'll have to goad her into making a mistake. Only a few of them are needed, but in her drunken state, it should be easy.'

Itazura took a small step back at the sudden smile on the white warrior's face. "What, kid? Come to *hiccup* terms with death?" She put her left hand to her mouth, looking extremely nauseous.

"How pathetic," he replied, a mocking grin never leaving his face. "They called you an elite warrior, and one of the most powerful teachers they have." He shook his head. "As of yet, I am unimpressed."

The woman's eyes narrowed at the white Fighter. "Watch your mouth kid."

"Why?" he asked, mouth twisted into a sneer. "To me, it seems like you can't even touch me. Why should I respect you when you are clearly inferior?"

"Inferior? You little son of a bitch," the replied, a snarl painted on her face. "I'LL show you 'inferior!'"

A flash of light was all the warning he got as she slammed into him.

His eyes widened underneath the lenses, and his Palutena Blade flew from his hands. Sent flying from the hit, he crashed into the wall. On his hands and knees, he retched blood, emptying his stomach. Wiping his mouth as he steadily got to his feet, he studied Itazura.

'D-damn,' he thought, weakly. 'That hurt a LOT.' He narrowed his eyes. 'Is she… glowing?'

"You haven't even scratched the surface of my abilities, brat," she announced, a smirk growing on her face. "Who's the inferior one now?"

'She isn't wobbling at all, and she isn't hiccupping,' he realized with a jolt. 'She's sober.' He glanced at his bloodied glove. Looking ahead, he saw that the green Fighter was holding her foot on top of his Palutena Blade. 'I can't fight without it. I'll be slaughtered.'

Seeing that he had looked at her feet, she grinned evilly. "It's too bad. You've lasted longer than 43 of my other students." She frowned, her face impassive. "However, you made a lot of mistakes, most of them near fatal ones. The first was challenging me to a fight. Your second was trying to goad me into it."

'She knew?'

"It was smart, but when you're so outclassed, getting your opponent angry can have disastrous results." She raised the purple gun-like blade, and it glowed. "This time, I won't miss."

Number 10,000's eyes widened at this. 'I'm gonna die here. I'm really gonna die.' He tried to run, but found he was rooted to the spot. Paralyzed. Useless. 'I can't move. I'm gonna die.' He gritted his teeth. "I'm gonna die."

"Damn right," she replied coldly. "It's kill or be killed in the jungle, brat. Too bad you crossed me."

"No."

"No?" she asked, her Viper Blade charged and ready to fire.

There was a burst of light before was thrown back.

'The… hell?' she thought, her eyes wide with surprised. 'How did he…?'

Falling feet first, slightly sliding across the floor from her momentum, she slipped back into the stance she had started the fight with. 'What he's doing is impossible! He shouldn't be able to use powers yet!'

The white Fighter bent over and picked up the Palutena Blade from the ground. His face was expressionless.

'This isn't the same brat as before. It's like he's… seasoned,' she thought, her eyes narrowing. 'He's glowing… is he using Lightweight? The attack before was definitely Super Speed…' Itazura shook her head. 'Doesn't matter if he can use powers or not, he's still a newbie.'

The green Fighter charged at number 10,000, her Viper Blade tucked behind her, ready to be lashed out at its target. The white Fighter didn't move, only staring straight at the blur that was Itazura. The green Fighter finally struck, slicing the white Fighter's arm, only to find that he had blocked it with his own weapon. Unfazed, she continued, but even in a blur of cuts and jabs, was unable to land a hit. All the while, the white-armored warrior simply stood there, adjusting his stance every so often to accommodate needed movements, parrying with his Palutena Blade faster than could be seen. Itazura swept her foot under him, attempting to unbalance her opponent, but he leaped away. A snarl returned to her face as she gritted her teeth.

"Come over here and fight, coward!" she yelled, teeth bared. 'He shouldn't be able to move that fast! Just minutes ago, he was a completely different person!'

Number 10,000 said nothing in response. His hand rose, clenched in a fist, and after muttering something, a light seemed to envelope him.

'Heavenly Light…' Itazura thought. 'That won't be a problem as long as I don't get too close.' She raised her arm and fired a quick shot. The white Fighter dodged it with ease before firing a charged shot of his own. Its power was immense, and even though she got out of the way in time, she could feel the wings brush past her. She looked back to her opponent, only to be welcomed by the fact that he was nearly on top of her. Grunting in pain from the slight burn of Heavenly Light, she rolled out of the way and leaped back before firing a charged shot in retaliation. The vector of energy looked as if it was about to hit, but the white Fighter slipped past it as he rushed forward, firing quick bursts of fire from his own weapon.

Itazura summoned a Reflect Barrier, effectively rebounding any of number 10,000's shots back at him. The white-armored warrior stopped firing after being hit by two of his own shots, but kept advancing. Grinning as he got close, the green Fighter summoned a Black Hole right behind the Reflect Barrier. Realizing his mistake, her opponent attempted to jump out of range, but he was already within the event horizon. Slammed into the Reflect Barrier, he began to take continuous damage. The green-armored Itazura grinned in triumph, but gritted her teeth when she saw that he had disappeared.

'Was that Warp? No… he wouldn't have been able to activate it while he was stuck to my barrier. It had to be Bumblebee…' she thought, filled with frustration over the fact she couldn't seem to do any solid damage against the white Fighter. Hearing a small swish from behind, she turned around, and was greeted by a solid kick to her face that sent her flying. She slid across the floor until she hit the opposite wall, slumped over. Itazura quickly rose to her feet, wiping the blood from her cheek.

"That hurt, brat," she muttered as she rose to her feet. "Who the fuck ARE you, anyways? A Fighter on steroids?" She sniffed as blood started to leak from her nose. "In the end, though, it all amounts to nothing." Grinning madly, she tightened her grip around the Viper Blade. "I'm gonna kick your ass for that kick, and the punch from earlier."

The white warrior on the other side of the room only watched her, still in his battle stance.

"Trade-off," she muttered as the ground beneath her fractured, creating a small crater. "Aries Armor. Health Recovery. Tire**lessness**." Her body emanated power, and a faint chest plate could be seen surrounding her body. Her lenses glowed red, and her canine teeth appeared elongated. "**Let's see how well you hold up against the combination that I'm feared for,**" she roared, her voice deeper and louder than before.

The green Fighter vanished from sight. Only a moment later, number 10,000 was sent flying into the air. Reacting quickly, he attempted to use the momentum with a downwards kick, but Itazura simply grabbed his leg and threw him into the ground. When the dust cleared, the white warrior was lying in a wide, but shallow, crater. The green fighter appeared above him, grinning in triumph.

"**THAT is the best you can do? I haven't even had to use my Viper Blade yet,**" she mocked.

Number 10,000 propped himself on his elbow before slowly rising. 'My head…' he thought as he touched it gingerly, wincing in pain. 'That's one massive headache… what happened?' The warrior looked around at the extensive damage to the room. It was filled with craters and broken tiles. The paltry furniture from before had been thrown somewhere during their skirmish.

"**I'm surprised you can still stand.**" Itazura glared at him, although he seemed to just notice her presence.

Grabbing his Palutena Blade, he sprinted forward, slashing at the green Fighter. Surprised, she had little time to react, and was hit right across her torso. Blood sprayed forth, and immediately the woman faltered in her concentration, losing the glow around her. Number 10,000 immediately pressed the attack, swinging his blade side to side in an attempt to score another hit.

'Damnit,' the green-clad warrior thought as she dodged the younger Fighter's attacks, holding her free hand to the large wound that had begun to bleed heavily. 'He got me good… but his form is sloppy. He's lost whatever he had, and he's clearly too tired to do anything more.' With a quick swipe of her feet, she disemboweled the white warrior, who fell to the ground with a thud. Trying to recover, number 10,000 attempted to scramble to his feet, only to be blocked by Itazura, who glared at the boy while holding her boot on his chest.

"No!" the white warrior shouted, holding his hand out, palm up. "Stay AWAY!" With a blast of light, a beam of energy raced from his hand and went directly towards Itazura. With a cold look upon her face, she tilted her head to the right, making the beam completely miss. With a swift kick to his head, the green-armored Fighter knocked number 10,000 out cold.

Itazura watched her victim for a few moments, her grip around the Viper Blade tight. After just seconds, it loosened, and the Viper Blade disappeared. Reaching down, she heaved the white Fighter over her shoulder, wincing as it opened up the wound on her chest even wider. Turning around, she walked towards the trashed metal wall on the far side of the room. As she neared the end, Itazura reached out with her right hand and placed her palm on the wall. The metal shifted aside to reveal a passage out. Shifting the position of number 10,000, she left.

**In the Infirmary**

Waking up with a jolt, the white-armored Fighter sat up, drenched in sweat. He continued to breathe heavily for a few moments before finally calming down enough to take a look at his surroundings. The room was almost completely white and nearly empty, with only the bed that number 10,000 was laying on and screen right next to said bed. A window was at the other end of the room, allowing him a clear view of a large and beautifully kept garden with a fountain at the center.

'Where… where am I?'

The door to his right opened and a black Fighter stepped in with a clipboard. He approached the white-armored warrior, who just now realized that most of his armor was actually gone. Even his helmet was off. The black Fighter smiled at him warmly, raising his hand in greeting.

"Hello," he said, with the utmost politeness. "I'm number 6,845, and I came here to check you out when you woke up, number 9,999."

The white Fighter did not reply.

"You moved up a rank because someone out in the field died. It was no one remarkable, only around 8,000 or so, maybe a little below that number…" The medic trailed off, leaving an uncomfortable silence. He moved over to the bed and sat down next to number 9,999. "You're vitals are all good, but you were in critical condition when you were brought here. You two really roughed each other up, you know? You had three broken ribs, two of which had pierced your heart. One just barely missed you lung. The amount of blood we had to pump out of you was ridiculous. You're left arm was fractured in several places above the elbow, and your radius was almost shattered…" Number 6,845 paused again, waiting for a reply form his patient. When he received none, he arose and left the room to the white Fighter. "You should be fine, but be sure to rest, kay?" he said as he walked out.

Number 9,999 sighed as the door closed. Raising his hand, he fingered the new scar on his chest, easily felt through the thin hospital garb.

'I guess… I survived…' he thought as his eyes slowly closed, and his mind relaxed.

**A/N: OK, so the ending was difficult to write. I kinda wanted to finish, as I was trying to update everything at once. It probably isn't the best quality, but at this point, I'm just happy to get something out there. **


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